Many vehicles, including, for example, automobiles, light trucks, and heavy trucks, are provided with bumpers that absorb impacts and limit damage to the vehicle. During very light impacts, bumpers are typically designed to absorb the impact energy without being significantly damaged.
While bumpers may avoid damage during very light impacts, during heavier impacts damage to any portion of the bumper may entail complete and expensive replacement of the entire bumper system, including the bumper itself and any brackets or supports used to mount the bumper. While existing bumper systems are known that employ an elongated central bumper section provided with opposite ends attached to a pair of bumper end caps, each of which may be independently replaced in the event of damage, such an arrangement may require additional reinforcement for the bumper end caps since they extend in a cantilevered fashion at some distance from an attachment point to the elongated center bumper section. For example, additional struts may be required to support the outer edge of the bumper end caps.
In certain vehicles, for example, typically in heavy trucks and buses, the hood may be opened by forward rotation oldie hood. Hoods in such vehicles may be mounted using rubber bushing at the hinges for purposes of isolating the hood from chassis vibration. The use of such bushings imparts a degree of flexibility to the hood and may cause the hood to contact the bumper if a sufficient gap between the bumper and the hood is not provided. In addition to decreasing aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle, the inclusion of a gap may reduce the aesthetic appearance of the front end of the vehicle.
Another characteristic of vehicles, particularly, but not limited to, vehicles with forward rotating hoods, is that the ends of the bumper may limit access to the engine bay of the vehicle, such as, for example, when servicing the engine. While bumpers have been devised that are pivotable with the hood, there is a risk that an impact to the bumper may result in damage to the hood and require costly repair or replacement of the hood. Additionally, while bumper arrangements have been devised that include a center bumper section and pivotable bumper end caps, which are pivotable independently of the hood and a center bumper section, additional brackets must be employed, installation and repair of the bumper end caps may be time consuming, and due to inherent variations from vehicle to vehicle it may be difficult to align the bumper end caps with respect to the both the hood and the center bumper section. Misalignment may result in an awkward appearance, unintended or non-uniform gaps, and dissatisfied owners or increased warranty claims.
The present invention relates to an improved vehicle bumper provided with bumper end caps mounted to the hood.